Jump to content

Which DAW Is Best For Audio Recording?


Recommended Posts

FL should be capable enough, tho checking out demos of other software is never a bad idea. What's the problem, what is it you can't do, or can't do conveniently?

Oh nothing, i was just wondering that's all.

EDIT: I know FL is used more for creating dance and electronica, so i thought maybe it's not made to give the best recording options or quality

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rozovian is right. we can better help you, if you're more specific on what exactly you'd like to do better than in FL.

I use SONAR X1 Producer. I'm pretty happy with its workflow, especially now with the smart tool. But it has some compatibility problems with some plugins, particularly some of Waves stuff. Man, I wish Pro Tools 9 had a demo version.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rozovian is right. we can better help you, if you're more specific on what exactly you'd like to do better than in FL.

I use SONAR X1 Producer. I'm pretty happy with its workflow, especially now with the smart tool. But it has some compatibility problems with some plugins, particularly some of Waves stuff. Man, I wish Pro Tools 9 had a demo version.

Well i find that my recorded tracks clip a lot when they're played back. My MIDI tracks can go a lot louder, but because i can't turn my recorded audio tracks up i have to turn the MIDI down and the whole piece just doesn't sound loud enough even though the monitor is telling me it's on the verge of clipping.

EDIT: The audio tracks don't clip when i record them. I assumed this problem is because i'm not very good at recording audio into DAWs, i doubt it's the programs fault

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well i find that my recorded tracks clip a lot when they're played back. My MIDI tracks can go a lot louder, but because i can't turn my recorded audio tracks up i have to turn the MIDI down and the whole piece just doesn't sound loud enough even though the monitor is itelling me it's on the verge of clipping.

This sounds to me like a problem with either the recording input level or with the mix itself. You could have a dc offset in the recording (I've seen a 46% offset, it was hilarious and sad at the same time), or just lots of lows messing with your output levels. Does this only happen when you have recorded guitar in your tracks?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This sounds to me like a problem with either the recording input level or with the mix itself. You could have a dc offset in the recording (I've seen a 46% offset, it was hilarious and sad at the same time), or just lots of lows messing with your output levels. Does this only happen when you have recorded guitar in your tracks?

Yeah i find on playback i have to turn the audio tracks up to make it sound decent, but can't because of clipping. What's a dc offset? (Probably a stupid question)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Audio is an AC signal (alternated current), its average value (not RMS) is essentially zero. DC offset means that your average value is higher or lower than zero, making it more likely to clip.

check if FL has an "elimate DC offset" in its settings or something.

Oh right you mean the decibels. Like on the main mixer you see numbers from -61 to +2? Am i right in saying this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It hasn't got anything to do with decibels ;)

4wttA.png

If you record audio, usually 'no signal' should be translated to the value '0' (in this picture the black x-axis), but if you have a dc offset, then its maybe '50' instead of '0' and so '130' instead of '80'. Imagine clipping starts at '100': '80' would work fine, but '130' won't.

If you eliminate that effect, you simply subtract '50' from all the values.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh right you mean the decibels. Like on the main mixer you see numbers from -61 to +2? Am i right in saying this?

...sort'a. dB is a way of measuring the sound level (amplitude) logarithmically - and related to the output regardless of the actual digital level (which is different depending on the file bit depth - it's what all the 16bit, 24bit, 32bit, 64bit stuff is about, which isn't important here). Amplitude in sound, however, goes both up and down (waves), as in SJM's pic. If the middle isn't in the middle, some peaks can clip.

dB starts from max 0dB on computers and go to negative because that's how they're standardized. 0dB is the loudest the computer can do - digital limit - highest value possible. Individual tracks can go higher but the mixdown must be less than 0dB or it'll clip. -6dB is half amplitude, -6dB more is half that, etc... If you're only getting clipping when you export/render/bounce the song, you may have clipping in there that FL just provides some headroom for... but which there's no headroom for in the exported audio file.

Because dB goes both directions, you can't just lower the levels because the recording's dc offset will still be there. Instead, check if FL has that dc offset fix thing, or open your recording in Audacity or something and fix it there, then import to FL.

If the dc offset isn't the problem, there's still the other aforementioned possibility - that you have too loud lows that you might not even hear. Use a spectrum analyzer to check if there's lots of low frequencies, and use an EQ to get rid of the excess from any track that doesn't need them.

But beyond that, idunno. Plugins that can't do offline renders, transients triggering some compressor, brickwall limiter set to something funky... can't help you beyond dc offset and lows. If that doesn't help, ask for someone with FL (like in this thread) to open your project to see what else it could be.

But figure out if it's a dc offset or too loud lows first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and don't expect to get it on torrents.

"Whispers"

'Just want to say there are loads of torrent for reason 4.'

'But ither way torrenting is a bad idea if you like the health of your pc, and warranty, updates,free stuff, plus fl gives free updates when you buy and download there there daw, nothing beats that, im on my 5th one XD.'

I used cubase 4 and ableton 8

Cubase to record live stuff, its effects and the feel of its mixer imo and other things. Ableton for live stuff too, orcha tracks, and mostly electronic too and everything eles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FL Studio is fine.

ProTools is pretty useless unless you're using HD, in my opinion. But if you're using ProTools HD, then you can be certain of a stable recording experience.

As far as clipping goes, you're not using your equipment properly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, my experience with recording in FL Studio was a nightmare. I originally thought it was because the computer I had at the time had low RAM. However, my new, much much better computer didn't really solve any of the other issues.

For some reason, it's only with FL that I get latency problems, skips in the music, finding the correct volume is a bitch etc. I tried every solution people told me to fix those things and none of it worked. I don't know why.

I found it MUCH easier and in the end more effective to record with some other program designed specifically for recording. Hell, even free programs work well. Then you export the tracks as audio clip(s) and sync em' up in FL and do whatever you want to them from there. Rather than recording it all within FL. Some people will probably disagree with that, and it's probably result of me just bein' a n00b, but it worked well for me.

Then again, I probably shouldn't even have FL or any of those programs =/ Since I can't mix worth shit anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't understand all the FL Studio recording issues. :/

My first time ever recording, my latency/volume was just fine.

Personally, my experience with recording in FL Studio was a nightmare. I originally thought it was because the computer I had at the time had low RAM. However, my new, much much better computer didn't really solve any of the other issues.

RAM (amount, not Mhz speed or timings) doesn't decide your speed/max workload, the processor does. Going from 2GB RAM to 16GB RAM if you have buffer underruns won't change a damn thing if you're running a Pentium 4/Athlon 64. That's a misconception that amount of RAM influences the speed of your computer directly. It doesn't increase speed, it increases the maximum amount of stuff you can have open/loaded. Latency has absolutely nothing to do with RAM.

In other words, get a better processor, not more RAM. Your processor is most likely the cause of your audio playback clipping/stuttering. Also, go into the Audio settings and when you're recording, set the buffer rate to as high as possible where it's stuff comfortable to record. That's where it's possible to set it to low latency. If the audio stutters, it means your computer can't handle processing your work at a low buffer rate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...